Motorized extension pole

ABSTRACT

A motorized extension pole including a first hollow pole member having a second hollow pole member telescopically mounted in the first pole member. The second pole member is selectively moved between extended and retracted positions with respect to the first pole member by a battery powered drive motor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a length-adjustable extension pole and moreparticularly to a length-adjustable extension pole including a batterypowered, variable speed, reversible motor which extends and retracts theinner pole member with respect to the outer pole member of the extensionpole.

2. Description of the Related Art

Extension poles have been available for many years to enable a person toclean windows which are located above the person's normal reach.Extension poles are also used to paint areas of buildings which arelocated above the person's normal reach. Extension poles may also beused to string lights and ornaments on trees during the holiday season.

Most extension poles include an elongated outer pole member, havingfirst and second ends, which telescopically receives an elongated innerpole member having first and second ends. The inner pole member islongitudinally adjustable with respect to the outer pole member and isusually held in place by a threaded collet at the second end of theouter pole member to clamp the pole members together.

When it is necessary to adjust the length of the extension pole, thecollet is loosened to permit the inner pole member to be slidablyadjusted with respect to the outer pole member. When the adjustment hasbeen made, the collet is again tightened. The adjustment processdescribed above may be awkward since the extension pole must be loweredto enable the person using the pole to loosen the collet, adjust thelength of the pole, and then tighten the collet. The adjustment is madeeven more inconvenient since there will be a paint roller, windowcleaning attachment, chain saw, hedge trimmer, gutter cleaner or otherobject secured to the upper end of the inner pole member.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription. This Summary is not intended to identify key aspects oressential aspects of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, this Summaryis not intended for use as an aid in determining the scope of theclaimed subject matter.

A motorized extension pole is provided which includes a first elongated,hollow pole member having first and second ends. A second elongated,hollow pole member, having first and second ends, is telescopicallymounted in the first pole member. The second end of the second polemember protrudes from the second end of the first pole member. Thesecond pole member is telescopically movable between retracted andextended positions with respect to the first pole member.

A battery powered, variable speed drive motor is secured to the firstend of the first pole member with the drive motor being selectivelyreversible. The drive motor includes a rotatable driven member. Anelongated externally threaded screw or bolt member, having first andsecond ends, has its first end thereof coupled to the driven member forrotation therewith in a first direction and a second direction oppositeto the first direction. The screw member is threadably coupled to thesecond pole member whereby rotation of the screw member in the firstdirection by the drive motor causes the second pole member to move fromits retracted position towards its extended position. The rotation ofthe screw member in the second direction by the drive motor causes thesecond pole member to move from its extended position towards itsretracted position.

In the preferred embodiment, the extension pole of this inventionincludes structure which prevents the second pole member from rotating,with respect to the first pole member, as it moves between its retractedand extended positions and which prevents the second pole member fromrotating with respect to the first pole member, as it moves between itsextended and retracted positions.

It is therefore a principal object of the invention to provide animproved extension pole.

A further object of the invention is to provide a motorized extensionpole.

A further object of the invention is to provide an extension polewherein the inner pole member of the extension pole is telescopicallymoved with respect to the outer pole member by means of a batterypowered motor.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments of the present invention aredescribed with reference to the following figures, wherein likereference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various viewsunless otherwise specified.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating the extension pole of thisinvention being utilized to roll paint onto a wall or the like;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of the extension pole of thisinvention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the extension pole of thisinvention;

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view of the extension pole of thisinvention; and

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view illustrating the modified form of theextension pole wherein the inner and outer pole members are generallycylindrical rather than hexagonal or octagonal in shape.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Embodiments are described more fully below with reference to theaccompanying figures, which form a part hereof and show, by way ofillustration, specific exemplary embodiments. These embodiments aredisclosed in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art topractice the invention. However, embodiments may be implemented in manydifferent forms and should not be construed as being limited to theembodiments set forth herein. The following detailed description is,therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense in that the scope of thepresent invention is defined only by the appended claims.

The motorized extension pole of this invention is referred to by thereference numeral 10. Extension pole 10 includes an elongated hollowouter pole member 12 having a first end and a second end. An elongatedhollow inner pole member 18, having a first end 20 and a second end 22,is telescopically slidably received within pole member 12. Pole member18 may have a hexagonal, octagonal or a cylindrical cross-section. Ifthe pole member 18 has a hexagonal or octagonal cross-section as seen inthe drawings, a fitting 24 is mounted on the end 16 of pole member 12 toprevent rotation of pole member 18 with respect to pole member 12. Inthe conventional extension pole, some means is provided to retain thepole member 18 in its various longitudinal positions with respect topole member 12. If pole member 18 has a cylindrical cross-section, aconventional collet will be mounted on the second end of the pole member12 to clamp pole member 18 in its various selective positions withrespect to pole member 12 in conventional fashion. In the instantinvention, there is no need to provide such a collet or other structureto clamp the pole member 12 to the pole member 18.

Regardless of whether the pole member 18 has a hexagonal, octagonal orcylindrical cross-section, the second end of the pole member 18 willhave a threaded stud 26 at the outer end thereof to which objects suchas a paint roller 28 may be attached. A chain saw, hedge trimmer, windowcleaner or gutter cleaner could also be attached to the threaded stud26.

An elongated threaded screw or bolt member 28 is positioned in theinterior of pole member 18. Screw member 28 will be described as havinga first end 30 and a second end 32. A fitting 34 is secured to the firstend 30 of screw member 28 and a fitting 36 is secured to the second end32 of screw member 28. Fitting 36 rotatably receives the end 32 of screwmember 28. Fitting 36 is held in place with respect to pole member 18 byscrew 38 as seen in FIG. 4. Collar 40 is secured to pole member 18 atend 20 by screw 42 as seen in FIG. 4. Internally threaded nut 44 isfixed to collar 40 by any convenient means such as adhesive, press-fit,etc.

The numeral 46 refers to a conventional battery driven tool such as ascrew driver 44, the motor of which is selectively reversible and turnedon and off by the thumb switch 48. The motor of the tool 46 is also avariable speed motor. Tool 46 includes a driven, rotatable socket 50which is driven by the motor of the tool 46 in conventional fashion.

Tool 46 is attached to the lower end of pole member 12 by any convenientmeans such as a sleeve 52, the ends of which are clamped onto the polemember 12 and the tool 46 by clamps 54 and 56 respectively. As seen inFIG. 4, when the tool 46 is secured to the lower end of pole member 12,socket 50 receives fitting 34 so that rotation of socket 50 causes screwmember 28 to be rotated.

The rotation of screw member 28 in one direction by tool 46 causes polemember 18 to be moved outwardly with respect to pole member 12 toincrease the length of the extension pole 10. The rotation of screwmember 28 in the opposite direction causes pole member 18 to be movedinwardly with respect to pole member 12 thereby decreasing the length ofthe extension pole 10. The extension and retraction of pole member 18with respect to pole member 12 is accomplished without rotation of polemember 18 since nut 44 is fixed to collar 40 which is fixed to polemember 18 which is fixed against rotation with respect to pole member 12by fitting 24.

When the extension pole 10 is being used such as illustrated in FIG. 1,the length of the extension pole may be increased or decreased simply bythe operator actuating the motor of the tool 46 to either retract polemember 18 with respect to pole member 12 or to extend pole member 18with respect to pole member 12. The extension and retraction of the polemember 18 with respect to pole member 12 is accomplished by the operatorwithout the need for lowering the pole and then adjusting the length ofthe same such as is necessary in prior art extension pole devices.

FIG. 5 illustrates the means for preventing rotation of the inner polemember 18′, which is generally cylindrical, with respect to thegenerally cylindrical outer pole member 12′. In the embodiment of FIG.5, the collar 40′ has a lug 58 projecting therefrom which is received byan elongated recess 60 provided on pole member 12′. During the extensionor retraction of the inner pole member 18′, the positioning of the lug58 in the recess 60 prevents rotation of pole member 18′ with respect topole member 12′. Thus it can be seen that the invention accomplishes atleast all of its stated objectives.

Although the invention has been described in language that is specificto certain structures and methodological steps, it is to be understoodthat the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarilylimited to the specific structures and/or steps described. Rather, thespecific aspects and steps are described as forms of implementing theclaimed invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can bepracticed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A motorized extension pole, comprising: afirst elongated hollow pole member, having first and second ends; asecond elongated hollow pole member, having first and second ends,telescopically mounted in said first pole member and which extendsthereinto from said second end of said first pole member; said secondend of said second pole member protruding from said second end of saidfirst pole member; said second pole member being telescopically movablebetween retracted and extended positions with respect to said first polemember; a battery powered drive motor secured to said first end of saidfirst pole member; said drive motor being selectively reversible; saiddrive motor including a rotatable driven member; an elongated externallythreaded screw member having first and second ends; said first end ofsaid screw member being coupled to said driven member for rotationtherewith in a first direction and in a second direction opposite tosaid first direction; said first pole member being generallycylindrical; said second pole member being generally cylindrical; acollar secured to said first end of said first pole member; aninternally threaded nut fixedly secured to said collar; said collarhaving a lug projecting therefrom; said first pole member having alongitudinally extending recess formed therein which receives said lugon said collar; said screw member being threadably coupled to said nuton said collar on said second pole member; the engagement of said lug onsaid collar with said longitudinally extending recess in said first polemember preventing said second pole member from rotating as it movesbetween its said retracted and extended positions and which preventssaid second pole member from rotating as it moves between its saidextended and retracted positions.